Last month during Comic Con week, I participated in a zombie-infested obstacle course. I was hesitant about registering for it because zombies freak me out.... a little. But I closed my eyes, and clicked my mouse button to hand over the virtual monies to the zombies. My nerves were still twisting my stomach and making think too much until it was time to "evacuate" at Petco Park on Thursday July 12 8:00 pm.
Right before the "escape", I went around the lot across the Hilton Bayfront to nourish myself from a long day at Comic Con. I sat on the curb with a burger when a girl dressed as Zoey from Left 4 Dead approached me and asked how I did at the course. I looked at her bewildered and she corrected herself as she assumed I was someone she just met before her "escape time". She reassured me as she revealed that she walked and that there are workers there that will help. But that it was super fun and crazy!
After I had my fill on food and info, Joel and I parted ways. He purchased a pass to spectate the frenzy in "safe" areas. I continued walking around the stadium alone to find a bunch of people gathered in separate lines and just crowding around tables with signs of huge letters. As I lined up, I grew even more anxious. People around me were wrapping flimsy paper wristbands around their ankles tightly, wounded securely around their shoelaces or just letting it hang loosely by a shoelace. I overheard that if one of the zombies caught yours, you become infected. Strategy time!
Got the wristband, checked in my heavy Comic Con backpack, walked through the gates, checked by "government" officials, got told to put on my ankle/shoelace band, meandered around a sea of people, and finally got herded into Petco Park by "government officials". After everyone in our wavetime gathered inside, the gates clanked as they rolled shut behind us, reverberating through the crowd. We shuffled deeper and deeper inside under the instructions of the stern "government officials" poised on makeshift platforms. In the center of the crowd was an official herding two zombies chained at the neck towards the opposite side of me where a dozen other zombies are fenced off.
Suddenly out of nowhere, one of the chained zombies attacked a bystander and all hell breaks loose. I remember trying to run, but a huge crowd of sweaty, costumed people were in my way at the same time I was being pushed forward by those behind me. Very reminiscent of a mosh pit at some summer outdoor concert. I got pushed into this group dressed up like some 80's hair band with their long, frizzy wigs and colorful, tight clothing. And they were sticky. As the crowd spread out into a more open area, zombies were just shuffling around, grabbing at anyone who passes by. I ran and jumped like a crazy. People seriously could've got killed back there....or just injured.
Just goes to show you that trying to survive something will make people go bat-shit!
A flight of stairs going down to a set of closed doors slowed down the frenzy. At the bottom of the stairs were 2 officials (with "FEMA" on the back of their shirts) peeking through holes of the paper-covered glass doors. By groups of 10 or so, they let people out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hRfzEys-wE&feature=youtu.be
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